1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air bag mechanisms that are stored within a vehicle, deployed through a weld seam area of a vehicle roof and outside the vehicle roof.
2. Background Art
Air bags are generally deployed within the interior of a vehicle to protect vehicle occupants in an accident. Interiorly deployed air bags are known that deploy from the dashboard, steering wheel, seat, headliner, and roof support pillars of vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,171 to Igawa discloses an externally developed air bag device that is deployed along an outer surface of the vehicle from a location forward of the windshield to protect a pedestrian who may hit by a car in a vehicle/pedestrian collision event.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,631 discloses an externally deployed air bag that may be deployed to protect the occupants of a vehicle from a side impact. The air bags are mounted near the vehicle doors and are deployed laterally outboard of the vehicle doors to defect an object impact away from vehicle occupants.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,986 discloses an externally developed air bag mechanism that is mounted to a vehicle adjacent the side and lower periphery of a vehicle windshield and inflates the air bag along the exterior of the motor vehicle. The purpose of this air bag mechanism is to protect pedestrians, bicycle riders, or motorcycle drivers in the event of a collision.
Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0160050 discloses an external protection system for a vehicle wherein guard rails are attached to the body of a vehicle outboard of the exterior of the passenger compartment. The guard rails may be provided on the sides, front, and rear of the vehicle.
Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0248184 discloses a vehicle having a pneumatically inflatable portion that forms an exterior surface of the body of the vehicle. The pneumatically inflatable structure is provided to protect vehicles from being damaged by other vehicles.
The above prior art patents and publications fail to disclose a simple and effective air bag device that is deployed through the weld seam formed between the roof and side body structures of a vehicle from a storage location below the vehicle roof which is deployed through the roof and either above the roof or outboard of the roof rail area of the vehicle. The manner in which Applicants' invention provides such a solution is summarized below.